The Time Has Come
by DeAnna's Rhapsody
Summary: I wrote this several years ago, so it seems a little silly to me now, but I thought I'd share it anyway. It's about my best friend's OC Arcee going to the Academy.


"Arcee, you're being selfish. This would be so much easier if you would cooperate. Life isn't all about you," I calmly explained to my young Padawan learner.

"But I don't want to go!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, "Master Olivia, please don't make me!" She began to sob. Talon, my husband, must have thought she was going insane. I was beginning to wonder if I would go insane. I had decided that I was going to have to quit trying to do this on my own. Arcee had learned all she could from me at this point, anyway, and I simply couldn't keep her under control when she got into her moods, so I was sending her to the Jedi Academy on Yaga minor.

"Arcee," I soothed, "Please, calm down. You know that Jedi aren't supposed to act this way."

"I don't care," she said dramatically.

"You won't have to stay there too long," I tried to comfort her. I hated to see her upset like this.

"I don't want to go at all!" she screamed, "I want to stay here with you!"

"But Arcee, you're getting out of hand. I'm having trouble dealing with you," I explained, "There are things you must learn that I simply cannot teach you."

"I promise I'll do better," she said quietly with a hopeful look in her eye.

"That's what you always say," I replied, giving her as serious an expression as I could.

She sobbed a few more times, then finally consented. "When do we leave?" she wondered. I frowned.

"I'm afraid I won't be taking you," I told her. She began to cry again. "Thoren will be taking you tomorrow, but I'm helping you pack tonight."

"Why can't you take me?" she questioned. She never really liked Thoren, a friend of mine who was an ex-bounty hunter who had recently changed direction and become a weapons-manufacturer. She was always playing pranks on him and doing her best to get on his nerves.

"I have to speak at the Council meeting," I explained gently.

"Can't you skip, just this once?" she begged, "...for me?" She tried the sad, pitiful face that usually got the best of me, but I had already decided that it wouldn't work this time.

"I was absent last time, remember? And that was because of you, so I would say you owe me," I responded.

She nodded in understanding. "So Thoren's going to help us out," she whispered, "That's nice of him." She was trying to make me feel guilty, and she was actually doing quite well. I was about to speak, but Arcee suddenly exploded. "I refuse!" she screamed, louder and wilder than before, "I won't go! You can't make me!" Of all the times for her to decide to be in one of her moods, this was definitely the worst possible choice. She suddenly ran and jumped on Talon, grabbing his head and banging it against the wall. "Uncle Talon, don't let Olivia make me go! Please!"

"One, let go of me;" he exclaimed, "Two, I'm not your uncle; and three, Olivia! Help!"

"Arcee, a Jedi must control her feelings," I calmly said while restraining her. She was crying even more now. "What am I going to have to do to get you to abstain from this crazy behavior?" I asked sternly. At that moment, the buzzer went off to let us know that Thoren had arrived.

"I'll get it," Talon announced. He liked to avoid Arcee whenever possible because she always seemed so obscure to him. He let Thoren in and I greeted him.

"Sorry I'm a day early, but my navicomputer was malfunctioning," Thoren said. Arcee

glared daggers at him.

"Oh, you know you're always welcome here," I said. It was barely out of my mouth before Arcee was in a rage again.

"I hate you!" she yelled at him, "I hate you because you're mean!"

"Arcee!" I said, "You stop that attitude this instant! You're acting like a child." I calmed myself before saying, "I would certainly appreciate it if you mind your manners when we have guests in the house. Besides, Thoren has never once done anything wrong to you."

"I don't care!"

"Don't make me get him to take you today. I won't stand for this kind of behavior, and you know it," I threatened. She quieted herself again with a long sigh, this time closing her eyes and calming herself in the Force. 'Finally,' I thought to myself. I smiled and said, "Okay, then. Shall we go and pack your things?"

She merely nodded, and I followed her to her room. "I don't want to go, Master," she whispered.

"I know, but sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do," I said.

"You never do," Arcee muttered.

"I was forced to watch in silence when my father died. You think I wanted that to happen?" I asked as calmly as I could.

"No, Master," she said, her voice barely audible, "I understand." She hugged me, starting to cry again.

"There is no emotion. There is peace," I whispered in her ear, but my eyes teared up, as well, in spite of my efforts to prevent them from it.

The next morning, I went to Arcee's room and woke her up. "Time to get ready," I said. Then, I walked into the den. "Thank you for being such a help, Thoren. We really appreciate it."

"You know I'm here whenever you need me," he replied.

I raised an eyebrow. "Talon paid you, didn't he?" I asked.

Thoren just grinned and said, "Nothing's secret from a Jedi." I rolled my eyes. Arcee came walking through and began to fix her breakfast.

[I'm going to warn you, she uses all kinds of tricks,] I said in Sy Bisti, the Outer Rim trade language, [She's a regular escape artist.]

He took the hint and replied in the same language, [I'm ready for anything.]

[I certainly hope so,] I said. Returning to Basic, I called, "Arcee!"

"Hmm?" she responded, appearing from the kitchen doorway. She had been standing there listening, I knew, but she can't understand Sy Bisti. "Yes, Master?" she corrected.

"Are you ready?" I asked. She looked as if she might begin to cry again, but, to my surprise, she didn't. She had a look of resolution on her face. I hugged her tight and whispered, "Be strong. Call me once you're settled. I'll come visit you a lot, and you can come home for the holidays." She smiled at me, and a tear fell…from my face! I quickly wiped my face to cover up my shameful act. Everyone in the room knew it wasn't the Jedi way, but no one said a word.

Thoren and Arcee left, and Talon held me tight. This wasn't supposed to upset me. I had promised myself that I wouldn't break, but I ended up crying all day. That night, Arcee called. She told me that it wasn't as bad as she had expected. Turns out, she had even made a new friend named Anya Jade and had bonded a little with Thoren. I told her I loved her and said goodbye. Then I smiled and went to bed.


End file.
